In Rhode Island, if both parents are deceased and do not have wills or a trust in place (The most likely way this would happen to young, healthy people is a sudden accident), the law will not allow the court to appoint a nonresident of the state as guardian of your minor children. R.I.G.L. § 33-15.1-8. Your sister in Seekonk could be the best person to ... Read More.

THE EARNING YEARS

For most people, the peak earning years are the 40’s and 50’s, so people start to accumulate more assets. Some people are lucky enough to have inherited some assets as well. Also by then many people have had several employers, find themselves divorced and remarried, or discover health problems of their own or their children ... Read More.

RETIREMENT YEARS

Now is the time to take another look at the will or trust that you had done 15 or 20 years ago because your life has most likely changed and the law certainly has. Or if you haven't done it yet, yesterday was the time to get that estate plan that you have always been meaning to get around to! You need to plan for your own and your spouse’s lifetimes and the possibility of disability when you cannot ... Read More.

This client, a retired single woman, only needed a simple will because most of her assets could pass without probate. I helped her understand how best to divide her ample savings to maximize the tax advantages. I advised her to leave a small Roth IRA to her 2-year old great grandchild in order to maximize the tax-free growth potential for 80+ years.I also wrote a personalized beneficiary designation form for one IRA to allow her son to disclaim it if he did not need it so that the account would go directly to his children and not be part of his estate, with a potential tax savings of tens of thousands of dollars. I advised her to sign the bank’s Pay on Death form so that her daughter would have immediate access to cash but not actually own the accounts until the Client’s death. Drafting a will is only a part of the advice I give.

My diagrams are created and prepared with your specific situation in mind.

This is the case of a wonderful couple who had adopted and raised 3 disabled sons while building a successful business that is probably going to be subject to Rhode Island estate tax. I set up a revocable trust that, at the first death, would be divided into 2 sub-trusts to avoid estate taxes at that time. The surviving spouse can use as much of the estate as she or he needs with the remainder going to the three sons.

Two of their sons receive SSDI, so they require special needs trusts for their lives so they can continue to receive government benefits while the trusts add the nice extras to their lives. The third son is able to work but is still in his twenties. He would receive some money right away but not have access to the principal in his trust until he is more mature. This diagram helped the clients easily understand a complex plan.

“Thank you Zona for the explanation of the legal documents you prepared. I truly appreciate the time you devoted to this process. I will highly recommend your services to family and friends.”

– E. Marks, Providence

“Zona consistently provides thoughtful, thorough, and, most importantly, practical advice. She listens carefully to my questions and responds clearly with analysis of the issue and a proposed resolution. I am a retired attorney and have high expectations. These are always met.”

– B. Kniskern, Newport

“Zona is not only a expert lawyer, but a kind and compassionate person. When my infirm parents needed to revise their legal documents, Zona made several trips to their assisted living home, and even took an enthusiastic tour of the place with my mother! She also goes out of her way to make sure the "legalese" is understandable in everyday language.”

– N. Lipsky, Ph.D., West Warwick

Estate Planning &IRA Beneficiary Trusts

I prepare all documents myself and am there to make sure the signing is done properly. Your file will never be handed off to a paralegal. I specialize in quality, not quantity.